Lucas County reports confirmed case of Monkeypox

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - The first confirmed case of monkeypox has been reported in Lucas County.

The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department reported the case on Thursday and said there is one probable case, also in Lucas County, that is currently being tested by the CDC.

This is the first confirmed case in the area. The state of Ohio currently sits at a total of 75 cases.

According to the TLCHD, once a positive case is detected, TLCHD will do a thorough tracing and monitoring of close contacts. If determined to be eligible for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), contacts can receive the monkeypox vaccine (JYNNEOS) on a referral basis.

“Monkeypox is a very rare disease in the United States,” said Dr. Eric Zgodzinski, Health Commissioner. “Monkeypox does not spread easily between people, but anyone in close contact with a person with monkeypox can get it and should take steps to protect themselves. This virus has not shown the ability to spread rapidly in the general population. Based on the information currently available, the risk to the public appears to be very low.”

Illness typically begins with fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion and swelling of the lymph nodes. After a few days, a specific type of rash appears, often starting on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body. Symptoms generally appear seven to 14 days after exposure and, for most people, clear up within two to four weeks. Some people may suffer with severe illness. As with many viral illnesses, treatment mainly involves supportive care and relief of symptoms.

If you need to seek care, call your health care provider first. Let them know you are concerned about possible monkeypox infection so they can take precautions to ensure that others are not exposed.

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